The Birth of Sukesha

Shloka 1 (uttara.4.1)

श्रुत्वागस्त्येरितं वाक्यं रामो विस्मयमागतः । कथमासीत्तु लङ्कायां सम्भवो रक्षसां पुरा ॥ 4.1 ॥

śrutvāgastyeritaṃ vākyaṃ rāmo vismayamāgataḥ | kathamāsīttu laṅkāyāṃ sambhavo rakṣasāṃ purā || 4.1 ||

Hearing these words spoken by Agastya, Rama was filled with wonder: "But how, then, did the rakshasas first come to dwell in Lanka?"

Shloka 2 (uttara.4.2)

ततः शिरः कम्पयित्वा त्रेताग्निसमविग्रहम् । तमगस्त्यं मुहुर्दृष्ट्वा स्मयमानो ऽभ्यभाषत ॥ 4.2 ॥

tataḥ śiraḥ kampayitvā tretāgnisamavigraham | tamagastyaṃ muhurdṛṣṭvā smayamāno 'bhyabhāṣata || 4.2 ||

Then, shaking his head, and gazing again and again upon Agastya, whose form blazed like the three sacred fires, Rama spoke, smiling.

Shloka 3 (uttara.4.3)

भगवन्पूर्वमप्येषा लङ्कासीत्पिशिताशिनाम् । श्रुत्वेदं भगवद्वाक्यं जातो मे विस्मयः परः ॥ 4.3 ॥

bhagavanpūrvamapyeṣā laṅkāsītpiśitāśinām | śrutvedaṃ bhagavadvākyaṃ jāto me vismayaḥ paraḥ || 4.3 ||

"Was this Lanka, then, venerable one, once before also the home of flesh-eaters? Hearing these words of yours, great wonder has arisen in me."

Shloka 4 (uttara.4.4)

पुलस्त्यवंशादुद्भूता राक्षसा इति नः श्रुतम् । इदानीमन्यतश्चापि सम्भवः कीर्तितस्त्वया ॥ 4.4 ॥

pulastyavaṃśādudbhūtā rākṣasā iti naḥ śrutam | idānīmanyataścāpi sambhavaḥ kīrtitastvayā || 4.4 ||

"We have heard that the rakshasas sprang from the lineage of Pulastya; yet now you have described another origin as well."

Shloka 5 (uttara.4.5)

रावणात्कुम्भकर्णाच्च प्रहस्ताद्विकटादपि । रावणस्य च पुत्रेभ्यः किं नु ते बलवत्तराः ॥ 4.5 ॥

rāvaṇātkumbhakarṇācca prahastādvikaṭādapi | rāvaṇasya ca putrebhyaḥ kiṃ nu te balavattarāḥ || 4.5 ||

"Were they, then, mightier than Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Prahasta, and Vikata, and even than Ravana's own sons?"

Shloka 6 (uttara.4.6)

क एषां पूर्वको ब्रह्मन्किन्नामा च बलोत्कटः । अपराधं च कं प्राप्य विष्णुना द्राविताः कथम् ॥ 4.6 ॥

ka eṣāṃ pūrvako brahmankinnāmā ca balotkaṭaḥ | aparādhaṃ ca kaṃ prāpya viṣṇunā drāvitāḥ katham || 4.6 ||

"Who was the first among them, O brahmin, and what was the name of that mighty one? And what offense did they commit, that they were driven out by Vishnu?"

Shloka 7 (uttara.4.7)

एतद्विस्तरतः सर्वं कथयस्व ममानघ । कुतूहलमिदं मह्यं नुद भानुर्यथा तमः ॥ 4.7 ॥

etadvistarataḥ sarvaṃ kathayasva mamānagha | kutūhalamidaṃ mahyaṃ nuda bhānuryathā tamaḥ || 4.7 ||

"Tell me all this in full, O sinless one. Dispel this curiosity of mine, as the sun dispels the darkness."

Shloka 8 (uttara.4.8)

राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा संस्कारालङ्कृतं शुभम् । ईषद्विस्मयमानस्तमगस्त्यः प्राह राघवम् ॥ 4.8 ॥

rāghavasya vacaḥ śrutvā saṃskārālaṅkṛtaṃ śubham | īṣadvismayamānastamagastyaḥ prāha rāghavam || 4.8 ||

Hearing Raghava's speech, cultured and auspicious, Agastya, somewhat astonished, spoke to Raghava.

Shloka 9 (uttara.4.9)

प्रजापतिः पुरा सृष्ट्वा ह्यपः सलिलसम्भवः । तासां गोपायने सत्त्वानसृजत्पद्मसम्भवः ॥ 4.9 ॥

prajāpatiḥ purā sṛṣṭvā hyapaḥ salilasambhavaḥ | tāsāṃ gopāyane sattvānasṛjatpadmasambhavaḥ || 4.9 ||

"Long ago, Prajapati, himself sprung from the primordial waters, having created the waters, then -- the lotus-born one -- created living beings to guard them."

Shloka 10 (uttara.4.10)

ते सत्त्वाः सत्त्वकर्तारं विनीतवदुपस्थिताः । किं कुर्म इति भाषन्तः क्षुत्पिपासाभयार्दिताः ॥ 4.10 ॥

te sattvāḥ sattvakartāraṃ vinītavadupasthitāḥ | kiṃ kurma iti bhāṣantaḥ kṣutpipāsābhayārditāḥ || 4.10 ||

"Those beings, afflicted by hunger, thirst, and fear, came humbly before their creator, saying, 'What shall we do?'"

Shloka 11 (uttara.4.11)

प्रजापतिस्तु तान्याह सत्वानि प्रहसन्निव । आभाष्य वाचा यत्नेन रक्षध्वमिति मानदः ॥ 4.11 ॥

prajāpatistu tānyāha satvāni prahasanniva | ābhāṣya vācā yatnena rakṣadhvamiti mānadaḥ || 4.11 ||

"Prajapati, the bestower of honor, as though smiling, addressed those beings carefully with the words: 'Guard it!'"

Shloka 12 (uttara.4.12)

रक्षामेति च तत्रान्ये जक्षाम इति चापरे । भुक्षिताभुक्षितैरुक्तस्ततस्तानाह भूतकृत् ॥ 4.12 ॥

rakṣāmeti ca tatrānye jakṣāma iti cāpare | bhukṣitābhukṣitairuktastatastānāha bhūtakṛt || 4.12 ||

Some among them said, "raksham" -- "we shall guard" -- while others said, "jaksham" -- "we shall eat." Hearing this from the hungry and the not-hungry alike, the creator of beings then said to them —

Shloka 13 (uttara.4.13)

रक्षामेति च यैरुक्तं राक्षसास्ते भवन्तु वः । जक्षाम इति यैरुक्तं यक्षा एव भवन्तु वः ॥ 4.13 ॥

rakṣāmeti ca yairuktaṃ rākṣasāste bhavantu vaḥ | jakṣāma iti yairuktaṃ yakṣā eva bhavantu vaḥ || 4.13 ||

"— those of you who said 'raksham' shall become Rakshasas; those who said 'jaksham' shall become Yakshas."

Shloka 14 (uttara.4.14)

तत्र हेतिः प्रहेतिश्च भ्रातरौ राक्षसाधिपौ । मधुकैटभसङ्काशौ बभूवतुररिन्दमौ ॥ 4.14 ॥

tatra hetiḥ prahetiśca bhrātarau rākṣasādhipau | madhukaiṭabhasaṅkāśau babhūvaturarindamau || 4.14 ||

Among them, two brothers, Heti and Praheti, lords of the rakshasas, resembling Madhu and Kaitabha, became subduers of their foes.

Shloka 15 (uttara.4.15)

प्रहेतिर्धार्मिकस्तत्र तपोवनगतस्तदा । हेतिर्दारक्रियार्थे तु परं यत्नमथाकरोत् ॥ 4.15 ॥

prahetirdhārmikastatra tapovanagatastadā | hetirdārakriyārthe tu paraṃ yatnamathākarot || 4.15 ||

Praheti, being righteous, went then to the forest of penance, while Heti made great effort toward taking a wife.

Shloka 16 (uttara.4.16)

स कालभगिनीं कन्यां भयां नाम भयावहाम् । उदावहदमेयात्मा स्वयमेव महामतिः ॥ 4.16 ॥

sa kālabhaginīṃ kanyāṃ bhayāṃ nāma bhayāvahām | udāvahadameyātmā svayameva mahāmatiḥ || 4.16 ||

He, of boundless and great intellect, himself married the maiden named Bhaya -- the fearsome sister of Kala, Death.

Shloka 17 (uttara.4.17)

स तस्यां जनयामास हेती राक्षसपुङ्गवः । पुत्रं पुत्रवतां श्रेष्ठो विद्युत्केश इति श्रुतम् ॥ 4.17 ॥

sa tasyāṃ janayāmāsa hetī rākṣasapuṅgavaḥ | putraṃ putravatāṃ śreṣṭho vidyutkeśa iti śrutam || 4.17 ||

Heti, foremost among rakshasas and best among fathers, begot in her a son known by the name Vidyutkesha.

Shloka 18 (uttara.4.18)

विद्युत्केशो हेतिपुत्रः स दीप्तार्कसमप्रभः । व्यवर्धत महातेजास्तोयमध्य इवाम्बुदः ॥ 4.18 ॥

vidyutkeśo hetiputraḥ sa dīptārkasamaprabhaḥ | vyavardhata mahātejāstoyamadhya ivāmbudaḥ || 4.18 ||

Vidyutkesha, son of Heti, radiant as the blazing sun, grew in splendor, like a cloud swelling amid the waters.

Shloka 19 (uttara.4.19)

स यदा यौवनं भद्रमनुप्राप्तो निशाचरः । ततो दारक्रियां तस्य कर्तुं व्यवसितः पिता ॥ 4.19 ॥

sa yadā yauvanaṃ bhadramanuprāpto niśācaraḥ | tato dārakriyāṃ tasya kartuṃ vyavasitaḥ pitā || 4.19 ||

When that night-ranger reached the bloom of youth, his father resolved to arrange his marriage.

Shloka 20 (uttara.4.20)

सन्ध्यायास्तनयां सो ऽथ सन्ध्यातुल्यां प्रभावतः । वरयामास पुत्रार्थं हेती राक्षसपुङ्गवः ॥ 4.20 ॥

sandhyāyāstanayāṃ so 'tha sandhyātulyāṃ prabhāvataḥ | varayāmāsa putrārthaṃ hetī rākṣasapuṅgavaḥ || 4.20 ||

Heti, foremost of rakshasas, then sought for his son the hand of Sandhya's daughter, who in radiance equaled Sandhya herself.

Shloka 21 (uttara.4.21)

अवश्यमेव दातव्या परस्मै सेति सन्ध्यया । चिन्तयित्वा सुता दत्ता विद्युत्केशाय राघव ॥ 4.21 ॥

avaśyameva dātavyā parasmai seti sandhyayā | cintayitvā sutā dattā vidyutkeśāya rāghava || 4.21 ||

"She must indeed be given to another," thinking thus, Sandhya gave her daughter to Vidyutkesha, O Raghava.

Shloka 22 (uttara.4.22)

सन्ध्यायास्तनयां लब्ध्वा विद्युत्केशो निशाचरः । रमते स्म तया सार्धं पौलोम्या मघवानिव ॥ 4.22 ॥

sandhyāyāstanayāṃ labdhvā vidyutkeśo niśācaraḥ | ramate sma tayā sārdhaṃ paulomyā maghavāniva || 4.22 ||

Having won Sandhya's daughter, Vidyutkesha the night-ranger took his pleasure with her, even as Indra does with Paulomi.

Shloka 23 (uttara.4.23)

केनचित्त्वथ कालेन राम सालकटङ्कटा । विद्युत्केशाद्गर्भमाप घनराजिरिवार्णवात् ॥ 4.23 ॥

kenacittvatha kālena rāma sālakaṭaṅkaṭā | vidyutkeśādgarbhamāpa ghanarājirivārṇavāt || 4.23 ||

After some time, O Rama, Salakatankata conceived by Vidyutkesha, as a bank of clouds gathers fullness from the ocean.

Shloka 24 (uttara.4.24)

ततः सा राक्षसी गर्भं घनगर्भसमप्रभम् । प्रसूता मन्दरं गत्वा गङ्गा गर्भमिवाग्निजम् ॥ 4.24 ॥

tataḥ sā rākṣasī garbhaṃ ghanagarbhasamaprabham | prasūtā mandaraṃ gatvā gaṅgā garbhamivāgnijam || 4.24 ||

Then that rakshasi, going to Mount Mandara, brought forth that child, radiant like the womb of a cloud, even as Ganga once bore the fire-born child.

Shloka 25 (uttara.4.25)

समुत्सृज्य तु सा गर्भं विद्युत्केशरतार्थिनी । रेमे तु सार्धं पतिना विस्मृत्य सुतमात्मजम् ॥ 4.25 ॥

samutsṛjya tu sā garbhaṃ vidyutkeśaratārthinī | reme tu sārdhaṃ patinā vismṛtya sutamātmajam || 4.25 ||

But she, eager for love with Vidyutkesha, abandoned the infant and, forgetting her own son, gave herself to pleasure with her husband.

Shloka 26 (uttara.4.26)

उत्सृष्टस्तु तदा गर्भो घनशब्दसमस्वनः । तयोत्सृष्टः स तु शिशुः शरदर्कसमद्युतिः । निधायास्ये स्वयं मुष्टिं रुरोद शनकैस्तदा ॥ 4.26 ॥

utsṛṣṭastu tadā garbho ghanaśabdasamasvanaḥ | tayotsṛṣṭaḥ sa tu śiśuḥ śaradarkasamadyutiḥ | nidhāyāsye svayaṃ muṣṭiṃ ruroda śanakaistadā || 4.26 ||

That infant, thus abandoned, his cry resembling the rumble of thunderclouds, radiant like the autumn sun — putting his own fist to his mouth, he began to weep softly.

Shloka 27 (uttara.4.27)

ततो वृषभमास्थाय पार्वत्या सहितः शिवः । वायुमार्गेण गच्छन्वै शुश्राव रुदितस्वनम् ॥ 4.27 ॥

tato vṛṣabhamāsthāya pārvatyā sahitaḥ śivaḥ | vāyumārgeṇa gacchanvai śuśrāva ruditasvanam || 4.27 ||

Then Shiva, mounted upon his bull, journeying with Parvati along the path of the wind, heard the sound of that weeping.

Shloka 28 (uttara.4.28)

अपश्यदुमया सार्धं रुदन्तं राक्षसात्मजम् । कारुण्यभावात्पार्वत्या भवस्त्रिपुरसूदनः ॥ 4.28 ॥

apaśyadumayā sārdhaṃ rudantaṃ rākṣasātmajam | kāruṇyabhāvātpārvatyā bhavastripurasūdanaḥ || 4.28 ||

Together with Uma he beheld the weeping child of the rakshasi. Then, moved by Parvati's compassion, Shiva, the slayer of Tripura —

Shloka 29 (uttara.4.29)

तं राक्षसात्मजं चक्रे मातुरेव वयःसमम् । अमरं चैव तं कृत्वा महादेवो ऽक्षरो ऽव्ययः ॥ 4.29 ॥

taṃ rākṣasātmajaṃ cakre mātureva vayaḥsamam | amaraṃ caiva taṃ kṛtvā mahādevo 'kṣaro 'vyayaḥ || 4.29 ||

— made that rakshasa child equal in age to his own mother, and, that imperishable and undecaying Mahadeva, made him immortal as well.

Shloka 30 (uttara.4.30)

पुरमाकाशगं प्रादात्पार्वत्याः प्रियकाम्यया । उमयापि वरो दत्तो राक्षसानां नृपात्मज ॥ 4.30 ॥

puramākāśagaṃ prādātpārvatyāḥ priyakāmyayā | umayāpi varo datto rākṣasānāṃ nṛpātmaja || 4.30 ||

To please Parvati, he bestowed on him a city that moves through the sky. And Uma too, O prince, granted a boon for the rakshasas.

Shloka 31 (uttara.4.31)

सद्योपलब्धिर्गर्भस्य प्रसूतिः सद्य एव च । सद्य एव वयःप्राप्तिर्मातुरेव वयस्समम् ॥ 4.31 ॥

sadyopalabdhirgarbhasya prasūtiḥ sadya eva ca | sadya eva vayaḥprāptirmātureva vayassamam || 4.31 ||

"Instant conception, and instant birth as well -- and instant attainment of maturity, equal to that of the mother."

Shloka 32 (uttara.4.32)

ततः सुकेशो वरदानगर्वितः श्रियं प्रभोः प्राप्य हरस्य पार्श्वतः । चचार सर्वत्र महान्महामतिः खगं पुरं प्राप्य पुरन्दरो यथा ॥ 4.32 ॥

tataḥ sukeśo varadānagarvitaḥ śriyaṃ prabhoḥ prāpya harasya pārśvataḥ | cacāra sarvatra mahānmahāmatiḥ khagaṃ puraṃ prāpya purandaro yathā || 4.32 ||

Then Sukesha, exalted by that boon, having received splendor from the lord Hara himself, that great and wise being roamed everywhere, having gained his sky-borne city, even as Purandara [Indra] does.